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Coye Knives Introduces the ForeRunnerâ„¢

Coye Knives today announces a new custom fixed blade based on the ever awesome Ridgeback called the ForeRunnerâ„¢, and we’ve got your first look.

You should of course be familiar with the Ridgeback, but just in case you’re not, check out our review here. First and foremost, the custom handmade Ridgeback has been officially retired. Boker will continue to offer the production version of the Ridgeback, but you will no longer see custom Ridgebacks from Coye Knives. That of course means that the custom Ridgebacks already in circulation just became even more special.

I can already hear fans of the Ridgeback groaning, but do not let your heart be troubled, because the ForeRunner™, which again is based on the Ridgeback, is everything you loved about the Ridgeback and more. The best way to see what has changed is to see them side-by-side.

Ridgeback top, ForeRunnerâ„¢ bottom

Ridgeback top, ForeRunnerâ„¢ bottom

If you look closely you’ll see the differences. More sweep, more curve, more ergonomics. Additionally, the custom Kydex sheath has been completely redesigned to be more streamlined and concealable, and should allow a better “full grip” on the knife when drawing.

Personally, I can’t wait to try one. Here are some more ForeRunnerâ„¢ photos courtesy of Coye Knives.

ForeRunner™ Mid-Techs

I have it on good authority that mid-tech versions of the ForeRunner™ are planned, but I have not heard when they will be available. For now, the ForeRunner™ is custom only.

Availability

If you’re anything like me, you want a ForeRunnerâ„¢ as soon as possible. To keep up with availability, I suggest signing up for the Coye Knives newsletter, and following Coye on social media (links below). I’ll have more information on availability next week.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2014
Contact:
Coye Knives LLC
PO Box 470684
Tulsa, OK 74147

Coye Knives Announces the new ForeRunnerâ„¢ Fixed Blade

Coye Knives LLC, a Tulsa, OK based custom knife shop owned and operated by Bill Coye, announces the ForeRunnerâ„¢, a small fixed blade design based on the wildly popular Coye Ridgeback.

“You spoke and we listened. As an evolutionary change to the Ridgeback design, the ForeRunner™ offers several upgraded features while staying true to the original design concept,” Coye says. “With more handle depth, swept finger choil, additional thumb jimping and scalloped handle area, the ForeRunner™ now has even better ergonomics but still maintains the basic form factor pioneered by the Ridgeback. Additionally, the custom made kydex sheath has been redesigned as an even more compact carry system for greater concealability.”

Custom handmade versions of the Coye ForeRunnerâ„¢ will be available April 21th, 2014 and can be purchased initially on CoyeKnives.com, and then through authorized dealers. Make sure to connect with Coye Knives on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

Coye Knives on the Web
Coye Knives on Facebook
Coye Knives on Instagram

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14 Responses to Coye Knives Introduces the ForeRunnerâ„¢

  1. Stacy Cornett April 16, 2014 at 9:01 am #

    Sweet.. design. !

  2. Jake April 16, 2014 at 9:03 am #

    Must. Have. Now.

  3. Matt Helm April 16, 2014 at 10:05 am #

    Heck yeah!

  4. Armed Citizen April 16, 2014 at 10:39 am #

    That is pretty slick. One of the largest complaints about the ridgeback is that its only a 3-finger grip. This seems to address that issue. Now I gotta be saving my pennies and nickels.

    • Brandon April 16, 2014 at 1:32 pm #

      It’s still a three finger design. Check out the photo of the ForeRunner next to the Ridgeback. They are the same size.

  5. Dave April 17, 2014 at 3:39 am #

    Any word on what the price will be?

    • Brandon April 17, 2014 at 8:21 am #

      They will be in the same range as the custom Ridgebacks – around $325.

  6. Mike April 17, 2014 at 8:25 am #

    It looks even better than the Ridgeback! Well done Bill!

  7. Armed Citizen April 17, 2014 at 8:58 pm #

    Brandon, What do you mean my “mid-tech” version? Is that like the Boker production thing, or some regular production knives made in the US?

    • Brandon April 17, 2014 at 9:29 pm #

      Mid-tech is a termed coined by custom knifemaker Ken Onion. You’ll find dozens of definitions (if not more) of what mid-tech means, but very quickly (and admittedly over-simplified):

      Production: 100% made by machine
      Mid-tech: some combination of machine and handmade
      Custom: handmade

      There are variations therein, lots of argument and hurt feelings, but that’s the quick and dirty version. I don’t want to speak for Bill, but in this context, it will likely mean that Bill will use machines to do some of the work that would be done by hand on a custom, and he would then finish the knife by hand (handle texturing, final grinds and sharpening, etc).

  8. hardh8 April 18, 2014 at 2:13 am #

    Brandon I went to the CoyeKnives.com and tried to pre-order a forerunner and couldn’t figure it out. I clicked on the order custom kives but the forerunner wasn’t an option. So… Is there a phone number I can call directly to order?

    • Brandon April 18, 2014 at 9:29 am #

      You’ll have to sign up for the Coye Knives newsletter to be notified when ForeRunners are available. They will be extremely hard to get for a while because demand is so high and Bill can only make so many.

  9. Shaun May 5, 2014 at 7:52 pm #

    I just landed one today through one of the distributors listed on his website. Should be here end of the week